Monday, October 19, 2015

The UPS and Downs



One of things I have about running is one of the things that keeps driving me and that is from week to week, race to race, no experience is the same nor is running well in an event a given. I think I have written about the PT. Mugu 11k trail race 5-6 times now. This race has become my white whale. I first ran in 2010 and came in 4th in my age division. Running is not always about the top 3 in your age division but it certainly adds a feather in your cap and trail races are as competitive and as difficult as they come so you can imagine after the 2010 race, I assumed I would come back in 2011 and capture that top 3 placing in my age division but I got hurt a week before the race and couldn’t run well in the race. Subsequent years, I just fell apart. I put so much pressure on myself to do well and I couldn’t live up to the pressure I put on myself and in result, I did not run well. Nothing changed this year but I was ready to put that curse behind and yesterday, the curse proved better than I again.

I got a small cold about two weeks ago and I was determined to not allow it to keep me from that top 3 podium spot. I rested and got myself feeling well enough to go up to PT. Mugu last weekend after hearing the course would change for the first time in over 4 years. We were being told the course in which I studied and trained would now start where it ended, which is a 2.7 mile run of a nasty incline, then out for about 1.4 miles and back down the 2.7 miles. In 92 degree heat last week, I braved the heat and the incline feeling winded and tired but strong and confident and ran quite well. That gave me so much confidence going into the race yesterday but one week is a lot of time between training and race day and it proved to be that way yesterday.
With little sleep, I felt like I was too lethargic and decided I would take an energy gel on an empty stomach and this is 2 minutes before the start of the race. I started with the first wave of runners and we blasted out and it was on the first climb that I knew I was in trouble. I felt like my stomach was revolting against me and quickly felt nauseous and if you’ve run uphill before then you would know that feeling sick to your stomach is not going to work. Five minutes in, I was walking and no matter what I did, I could not summon the energy and I got passed up by waves of people who were minutes behind me. I watched my goal just fly out the window. When I got to the top of the climb, I tried to rally a bit and push to the downhill and turn around and back up hill. I did what I could and when we got to the 2.7 mile downhill to the end, my watch had 56 minutes and I pushed until I couldn’t push anymore but finished in 1 hour and 13 minutes. I basically smashed 6:30 minute miles to the end and I knew I wouldn’t place in the top 3 but I wasn’t expecting to finish 4th. 4th!!!!! It was like learning that you were one lotto number away from 20 million dollars. It is an accomplishment but my goal fell short and I couldn’t help but think about how different each race and experience is different but you have to know that when you are in the race, you have a choice to fight and push through the most discouraging of times when your body cannot perform and you are miles from finishing.

I walk away from days like yesterday discouraged but then I realize I have plenty to be happy about and I put things in perspective and know that I have plenty of races ahead of me. Beat up, bruised and battered is just temporary. When I get back to my feet and back out there, I have more incentive and a new goal for my next race. This is why I keep lacing up the shoes. The challenges just keep coming!


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